{"id":18925,"date":"2018-04-11T01:00:54","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T08:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=18925"},"modified":"2018-04-17T13:00:10","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T20:00:10","slug":"take-risks-take-it-to-the-edge-by-beth-barany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/11\/take-risks-take-it-to-the-edge-by-beth-barany\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Risks, Take It To The Edge by Beth Barany"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Take<\/a>Edge.<\/p>\n

On the edge.<\/p>\n

At the edge.<\/p>\n

Edgy.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s over the cliff?<\/p>\n

Can you poke your nose over and see the depths of the potential fall?<\/p>\n

Being a creative isn\u2019t about playing it safe; it\u2019s about taking risks that flare fear deep in your belly.<\/p>\n

When I was starting as a novelist, just declaring that I\u2019d write \u201cthis\u201d novel no matter what, was enough of a risk. I had no idea how to do it; I had no idea how to craft a story, no idea beyond starting.<\/p>\n

I dove into my commitment, trusting I\u2019d figure it out as I went.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometime in January 1998, I sat at a little cafe on Telegraph Avenue right where Oakland started and Berkeley ended (the borderlands) and wrote my first scene.<\/p>\n

It was so hard. It seemed like I wrote forever, but it was only maybe 30 or 40 minutes. When I finally looked up from the page and noticed the time and how much I\u2019d written, I was dismayed. It had felt like I\u2019d gone into my story, feeling it, seeing it, disappearing into another world \u2014 what a glorious feeling! \u2014 but I\u2019d only written about half a scene.
\nHoly moly. This writing a novel was hard and took a lot longer than I expected.<\/p>\n

Flashback:<\/em> As a child, I\u2019d lay awake at night staring at the ceiling and wishing that there was a machine up there that could transcribe my thoughts — a device like the ones that recorded earthquakes, taking down my thoughts word for word.<\/p>\n

Writing by hand is so much harder than using my imaginary thought-transcribing machine.<\/p>\n

Back to the little caf\u00e9 on Telegraph Ave. I leaned back in the caf\u00e9 chair on that sunny afternoon in January and decided then and there that I\u2019d write this book, no matter what, no matter the growth and learning it would demand of me. No matter how long it took to write a scene. (A long time.)<\/p>\n

Of course, I had no idea what the work would really entail, nor that it would take me five years to write this first novel \u2014 more of an experiment in writing a novel than writing a creation with any kind of clear vision.<\/p>\n

Looking back at that time 20 years ago, I am so grateful that I embraced this path. I went from learning the ABCs of writing fiction to a sense of mastery with 16 books written and more on the way.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m at a new stage of growth and learning and I continue to peek over the cliff, scared deep in my belly to see what\u2019s there.<\/p>\n

And what\u2019s there is the unknown.<\/p>\n

But that is where I must go.<\/p>\n

Staying here is boring, even though it\u2019s cozy and safe.<\/p>\n

I want to stretch and grow as a writer.<\/p>\n

I want to surprise myself and my readers.<\/p>\n

I want to imagine new worlds. That takes risk, leaping into the unknown, and getting scared.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What scared me at the start of my fiction writing journey is not the same as what scares me now.<\/p>\n

Then, I was afraid of having bad things happen to my dear characters. It was painful. I didn\u2019t know how to write conflict. I didn\u2019t even understand what conflict was. Or plot.<\/p>\n

I still write crappy conflict sometimes in my first drafts, but I\u2019m no longer afraid of having bad things happen to my dear characters. And I understand plot and story structure, character development, and powerful language, point of view, and so much more.<\/p>\n

I also know how to edit, how to fix bad scenes, and how to map out a story without throttling my creativity. I trust myself to write a messy first draft and how to find a way through it and polish it to the gem of a final, publishable version \u2014 ready for my readers.<\/p>\n

\"Take<\/a>Now I feel like a mad scientist rubbing her hands in glee, figuring out new ways to further torture my dear characters, and keep my readers at the edge of their seats, turning pages into the wee hours of the night.<\/p>\n

Other things frighten me now. Like: How can I reveal the truth about myself that\u2019s useful to my readers and doesn\u2019t completely shut me down? Also, what is the truth here? How do I really feel? And how can I put that into my stories in a compelling way? I\u2019m also wondering how I can envision a new society that reflects the best of humanity and put that into my stories. Writing science fiction allows me to explore these questions I don\u2019t yet have any answers to. Again, I\u2019m at that cliff\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s your turn to explore where your edge is, where the risk lives for you.<\/p>\n

YOUR TURN: EXPLORE YOUR EDGE<\/h2>\n

What is risky for you?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not talking about being reckless. I\u2019m talking about the next step of risk, your next edge. What\u2019s scary to you right now?<\/p>\n

Take a moment to reflect on these questions. Note down some thoughts, if you want to.<\/p>\n

If you need some help, try these questions on:<\/strong>
\n\u2014 How can you look at what\u2019s risky for you, or even to just peek at it?
\n\u2014 How can you edge up to it with your eyes closed? Or have a tiny nibble of it? Or touch it for only a second?<\/p>\n

The goal here isn’t to shut down your creative impulses. The goal here is to stretch into newness and then bring that new awareness into your creative work.<\/p>\n

\u2014 How can you bring what\u2019s at your edge into your writing?
\n\u2014 What does that mean for you?<\/p>\n

Feel free to share your discoveries in the comment section below. I am curious to hear and see what you uncover.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ll be right there with you, reporting from the edge.<\/p>\n

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